THE HEADLINES:
- Campaigning peaks up for second phase of elections in West Bengal with top political leaders holding back to back raillies to woo voters.
- Supreme Court refuses to entertain plea against deletion of names from WB voter list in SIR; Terms it premature.
- India approves first withdrawal of 3 thousand crore rupees for Maldives under SAARC Currency Swap Framework.
- No court can compel woman, especially minor, to carry pregnancy against her will, says SC.
- IMD forecasts heatwave conditions over Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Vidharbha.
- And in IPL Cricket, Royal Challengers Bengaluru to take on Gujarat Titans in Bengaluru this evening.
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In West Bengal, campaigning has reached feverish pitch ahead of the second and final phase of Assembly elections to 142 seats, scheduled for the 29th of this month. Prime Minister and Senior BJP leader Narendra Modi addressed a rally today at Panihati in support of party candidates.
The Prime Minister said the high voter turnout in the first phase reflected the public mood for change. Mr. Modi declared that after the results on the 4th of next month, the state would be freed from corruption, syndicate raj, insult to women, infiltration, and unemployment.
Later today, the Prime Minister is scheduled to address another rally at Baruipur in South 24 Parganas district.
Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee will campaign in Bhabanipur while Abhishek Banerjee, General Secretary of the Trinamool Congress, will hold election meetings and roadshows at several places in Howrah and South 24 Parganas today.
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Senior BJP leader and Union Home Minister Amit Shah today claimed that his party is headed for a strong performance after the first phase of Assembly election polling. Addressing a press conference at New Town in Kolkata, he said the BJP is likely to win more than 110 of the 152 seats that went to polls in the first phase. The BJP leader said, TMC’s exit is imminent adding that the BJP is going to form the govt with absolute majority. He also congratulated voters for recording more than 92 per cent turnout in the first phase, describing it as a positive sign for democracy.
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On the record voter turnout in the first phase of Assembly elections in West Bengal. Congress MP Rajeev Shukla said it is surprising and a very good thing that so many people have participated in the voting. Talking to reporters, Mr Shukla noted that all political parties are interpreting the high voter turnout, as being in their favor. However, he added that the true impact of the voter participation will only be clear, once the election results are announced.
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The Supreme Court today refused to entertain writ petitions filed by persons aggrieved by the deletion of their names from the electoral roll in West Bengal after the Special Intensive Revision (SIR), although they are enlisted as electoral officers in the ongoing assembly elections. A bench led by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, asked the petitioners to approach the Appellate Tribunals which have been formed to hear appeals against exclusions from the electoral roll in the SIR adjudication process.
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In Bihar the NDA government, led by Chief Minister Samrat Chaudhary, secured a victory in the trust vote in the Legislative Assembly today. During the one-day special session of the House, the trust motion was passed by a voice vote, as no formal division of votes was required.
Responding to the debate on the trust motion, Chief Minister Samrat Chaudhary asserted that the NDA government holds the confidence and trust of the 14 crore people of Bihar.
Earlier, initiating the discussion, Leader of the Opposition Tejashwi Prasad Yadav pointed out that five governments have been formed in Bihar over the last five years, arguing that such political instability negatively impacts development work.
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The government has disbursed over seven thousand 981 crore rupees to more than 75 lakh Scheduled Caste students in 2025-26 to support their education and empowerment. Social Justice and Empowerment Minister Dr. Virendra Kumar said, the government is committed to ensuring inclusive development and social justice for all sections of society through targeted interventions and welfare initiatives.
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In West Bengal, 142 assembly constituencies will go to the polls on 29th April in the second and last phase. In our series of constituency profile, today we take a look the Panihati assembly constituency in North 24 Parganas district.
“The Panihati assembly constituency seat will go to the polls on 29th April. This seat is very important in political angle because of the link with the R.G. Kar rape and murder case. The victim’s mother Ratna Debnath is fighting from this seat under the BJP flag. The Left candidate is CPIM’s Kalatan Dasgupta and Trinamool Congress fielded incumbent MLA’s son Tirthenkar Ghosh. Total eleven candidates including 4 independents are in the fray. Congress fielded Subhashish Bhattacharya. The political fighting will be interesting. The BJP and Left parties demanded justice for the R.G. Kar victim while Trinamool Congress is highlighting various state government schemes in its election campaign. Kalyan Laha, Akashvani News, Kolkata.”
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The Supreme Court has ruled that no court can compel a woman, especially a minor, to carry a pregnancy against her will. A Bench of Justices B V Nagarathna and Ujjal Bhuyan today permitted a 15-year-old girl to medically terminate her over seven-month pregnancy, emphasising that a woman’s reproductive autonomy must be given the highest priority. The Court observed that the right to make decisions concerning one’s body, particularly in matters of reproduction, is an integral part of personal liberty and privacy under Article 21 of the Constitution. It said forcing a minor to continue an unwanted pregnancy would violate her constitutional rights and could cause serious mental, emotional and physical trauma. The Bench also rejected the argument that the child could be given up for adoption, stating that such reasoning cannot override the wishes and welfare of the pregnant minor.
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India has approved the first withdrawal of 30 billion rupees for the Maldives under the SAARC Currency Swap Framework, reinforcing its ongoing financial support to the island nation. The Indian High Commission in Male said the funds are being released as part of the first drawdown under the framework agreed between the Reserve Bank of India and the Maldives government during President Mohamed Muizzu’s state visit to New Delhi in October 2024. The High Commission said the facility has played a key role in maintaining the Maldives’ financial stability. It added that India continues to support the Maldives under its Neighbourhood First policy and Vision MAHASAGAR, reaffirming its role as a trusted partner and first responder in times of need.
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Chief of Army Staff General Upendra Dwivedi has been inducted into the International Hall of Fame of US Army War College today. Mr Dwivedi became the third person to receive this honor after General V K Singh and General Bikram Singh.
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National Panchayati Raj Day is being observed day. The day commemorates the establishment of the Panchayati Raj System as a formal structure of local self-governance. It marks the implementation of the 73rd Constitutional Amendment Act, 1992, which came into force in 1993. More from our correspondent.
“Panchayati Raj Institutions form the backbone of country’s grassroots democracy and have deep historical roots in village self-governance. The Power is transferred from central and state governments to elected representatives at the village level. With over 2.5 lakh Panchayats and over 24 lakh elected representatives, local governance has become more inclusive. In recent years, digital initiatives such as eGramSwaraj, Meri Panchayat, Panchayat NIRNAY, AuditOnline, SVAMITVA, and Gram Urja Swaraj have strengthened transparency, efficiency, and accountability in local administration. Over 95 per cent of villages now have 3G and 4G connectivity, strengthening last-mile service delivery. With Dipendra Kumar, Vishnu PS, Akashvani News Delhi.”
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Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Union Minister of State for Panchayati Raj S P Singh Baghel have extended greetings to the citizens of the country on the occasion of National Panchayati Raj Day today. In a social media post, Mr Shah said that the Panchayat system is one of the oldest democratic traditions of India and a strong pillar of democracy. Mr Baghel said that the vision of a ‘Viksit Bharat’ cannot be realized without the comprehensive development of villages, farmers, panchayats, and the broader rural landscape.
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Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) General Secretary Dattatreya Hosabale has described the RSS as a volunteer-driven movement rooted in India’s cultural and civilizational ethos. Speaking at an interactive session at the New India Conference organized by the Hudson Institute in Washington DC, Mr Hosabale said the RSS views Hindu identity as a civilizational and not a religious identity.
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Indian Pharmacopoeia Commission (IPC) has a signed memorandum of understanding with the Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Bureau of India and National Institute of Pharmaceuticals Education and Research, Hajipur, to Promote Drug Quality, Research, and Patient Safety. Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said these agreements reflect IPC’s continued efforts to strengthen India’s healthcare ecosystem by promoting quality assurance, patient safety, rational use of medicines, and innovation in pharmaceutical standards.
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The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast heatwave conditions over Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, and Vidarbha till Monday. Similar conditions are likely to prevail across Delhi, Chandigarh, Haryana, Punjab, and Bihar till tomorrow. IMD further said that hot and humid weather conditions will continue over Konkan, Gangetic West Bengal, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, Coastal Andhra Pradesh, Coastal Karnataka, and coastal areas of Gujarat during the same period.
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In IPL Cricket today, Royal Challengers Bengaluru will take on Gujarat Titans at M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru at 7.30 PM. Last night, Chennai Super Kings defeated Mumbai Indians by 103 runs at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. Chasing 208 runs for victory, Mumbai Indians were all out for just 104 in 19 overs.
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Benchmark domestic equity indices were trading more than one per cent lower in afternoon trade today. The Sensex tumbled 1 thousand 123 points to 76 thousand 541, while the Nifty shed 312 points to 23 thousand 861 when reports last came in.
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THE HEADLINES ONCE AGAIN:
- Campaigning peaks up for second phase of elections in West Bengal with top political leaders holding back to back raillies to woo voters.
- Supreme Court refuses to entertain plea against deletion of names from WB voter list in SIR; Terms it premature.
- India approves first withdrawal of 3 thousand crore rupees for Maldives under SAARC Currency Swap Framework.
- No court can compel woman, especially minor, to carry pregnancy against her will, says SC.
- IMD forecasts heatwave conditions over Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Vidharbha.
- And in IPL Cricket, Royal Challengers Bengaluru to take on Gujarat Titans in Bengaluru this evening.
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